Brenda Hill- About those green tomatoes

Dear Brenda,
When the tomatoes were small, green, looking wonderful little globes, the rains began and then went on at the rate of two to four inches a day for a month. I could not sell a single tomato. I went into my food preservation mode, picked the split ones as they ripened, (at first) and peeled and canned plain tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato salsa, tomatoes with celery and onions, tomatoes ....you get the picture. The green one's were too small to fry and then they split and the white flies took over.

I am sorry about the tomatoes.

I have canned enough vegetables of all kinds that my David and I would not have to buy anything for a year or more if we were vegetarians Maybe next year.

Love,
Betty

That's a shame, but at least you and David will be eating good things.

That's too bad, Betty. I'm sorry to hear about it - for you and for me. I've looked everywhere and no one seems to have green tomatoes. Perhaps it's because of the heat and blistering sun. I've even been desperate enough to try growing them, but for the second year in a row, I've managed to start and kill some beautiful plants.

Thanks for letting me know. Perhaps next year.

And I'm glad you have canned vegetables. Those are the best, and I bet yours are fantastic.

Dear Brenda,
This canning of stuff is new to me. It is supposed to last forever.

I was so dismayed. I grew enough stuff to feed several thousand people. It had to be picked every day, which I did, and I had some people who have goats that would come once in a while and pick up the stuff I had picked. Mostly, I threw it out into where the corn patch would have been had I had more energy. Out there it rotted and came up again into tomatoes, beans, peppers, zinnia...all among the weeds that were over their heads. My farm is so beautiful in concept and in productions. I am out here in this wilderness that I love. But, people do not want to exert themselves for their food. They want it packaged for the freezer and in portions they can deal with.

I am taking all the plants out this month. I will leave a few flowers just for us, but in October, I hope we can plant one crop and sell it to a broker, David wants to do strawberries. I do not know. I do know that when the end of March comes around, I consider that I will be off for the next summer.

This year, I have learned a lot about vegetable farming seasons and weather of freezing and heat and rain and not a lot about marketing.

My operation is equal to four acres if it were planted in the ground. I am small. The farmers around me have thousands of acres. They plant stuff that they insure for freezing and too much rain and as soon as it gets cold or a tomato splits,, they nuke it and collect the insurance. No labor involved for harvest.

I remember way back when farmers were paid to not plant things by the US government. They got 50,000 just not to plant soybeans in their 3000 acres, or some cotton.

In my youth, I was so hungry all the time. The pinto bean kept me alive. Food is important stuff. Not to us who have a lot, but to people who do not have any. It is important stuff the world over.

I am sorry about the tomatoes.

Love,
Betty

I wish I had thought as you posted your issues with your garden. There is a wonderful organization called "Second Harvest" where volunteers will come and pick everything and take it to food pantries. They are nice people and do a really great service to people who have nothing. It's not like taking a risk to have strangers in your garden. The volunteers are usually retired people giving back to their communities. Oh well, too late my light comes on..............

Oh, Dk,
It is too late for this year. If I look up Second Harvest on the internet, will I find these people. I wish I had known about them. I wonder if they are in my area and if they will come out here.

I will try and see what comes of it.

Thanks,

Love,
Betty